title: Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is associated with migraine headaches.
abstract: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is now recognized as a common disorder both in child and adult psychiatry. Adult patients with a diagnosis of ADHD (n = 572) and community controls (n = 675) responded to auto-questionnaires rating past and present symptoms of ADHD, co-morbid conditions, including migraine, treatment history and work status. The prevalence of migraine was significantly higher in the patient group compared to the controls (28.3% vs. 19.2%, P < 0.001, OR = 1.67, CI 1.28-2.17). The difference from controls was particularly marked for men (22.5% vs. 10.7%, P < 0.001, OR = 2.43, CI 1.51-3.90) but was also significant for women (34.4% vs. 24.9%, P = 0.008, OR = 1.58, CI 1.13-2.21). In both patients and controls, migraine was associated with symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders. These findings point to a co-morbidity of migraine with ADHD, and it is possible that these patients represent a clinical and biological subgroup of adult patients with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Section for Psychiatry, University of Bergen, P. b. 23 Sandviken, 5812 Bergen, Norway. ole.fasmer@kliniskmedisin.uib.no
authors.forename: Ole Bernt
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Fasmer
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halmøy
authors.forename: Ketil Joachim
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Oedegaard
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haavik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009790:Occupations; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires